I’ve had the honor of being apart of the “New Mom Series” on
Ruthie Ridley’s blog and the ladies that I’ve teamed up with are beyond
incredible. Every week Ruthie has a special guest on her blog to share their
new motherhood experiences. This week, I’m sharing a few tips that will help
make your new mom life a little easier. I’m going to be sharing what I pack in
my diaper bag to get me through the day and tips for your first outing with
that sweet newborn baby.

First, I would like to share our first outing story. Liam
was about a week old when we went out. My husband and I had driven to San
Antonio to visit our friends and family before we headed out to our new home in
Colorado. We met our friends at Perry’s to have dinner. Everyone so excited to
meet Liam for the first time. Everyone wanted to love and hold him. I brought
hand sanitizer to give my friends when they held Liam. No, they weren’t
offended, lol, most people are courteous about washing and cleaning their hands
before holding a newborn. Don’t be afraid to ask because it could prevent your
child from getting sick or catching an infection due to their undeveloped
immune system. Dinner was very pleasant and easy because Liam was asleep 90% of
the time and everyone was eager to learn about my delivery and how much my life
has changed. I think I barely held Liam that night; he was getting so much love
from everyone. My only obstacles that night were feeding him during dinner when
he got fussy and changing his diaper-normal mom stuff. After dinner, we took
tons of pictures and headed home for the night.

Our days out now are a lot different. Last week we went to
the park to play with other babies and grabbed snacks at a nearby bakery. I
mostly dress Liam in a comfy tee and shorts so he doesn’t get too hot running
around. I got this one in the mail last month and it’s our new favorite.
Toddlers are a lot more active and require a lot more chasing. I remember
wishing Liam would “do more” when he was a newborn. I miss those days where I could
eat lunch while he slept. Now, I’m feeding him first and then entertaining him
while my food gets cold. lol. I wouldn’t change it for the world. Soak up every
minute with your baby, they grow fast.

Most new moms stress or worry about taking their newborn
babies out the first time. Reasons like getting a cold or infection, crying in
public, having a diaper accident, forgetting something at home, or anxiety.
Though they are good reasons, don’t let that stop you from sharing your baby
with the world. If your baby is healthy and the doctor has no orders for
him/her to stay at home, then enjoy being out. It’s a lot easier than you think
it is. Here are 8 tips that’ll help you and your newborn baby enjoy that first
outing together.

1.Plan an
easy outing- Make plans for something that is easy and enjoyable, dinner, museums,
parks, or family and friends visit. I wouldn’t suggest going to the mall,
grocery store, or somewhere far. You’d be surprise how difficult it can be to
load up your groceries while your baby is possibly crying, car is too hot, and
all that. You’re learning how to be out with your newborn so try to not overdo
it. If you know you’re capable of handling situations like that, you go be a
supermom!

3.Make a
schedule- Know you and your baby’s schedule. How often does he or she need
to be changed, fed, and rested? Make sure to make stops through out the day to
do these things. I would always check Liam’s diaper before getting in the car,
getting back in, and every other hour. He pees and poops A LOT!

4.Dress
accordingly- Check the weather for the day and see how hot or cold it is.
Babies overheat easily, don’t dress him/her in warm clothing and wrap them up
in a swaddle if it’s 100 degrees outside. If it’s snowing, you bundle that baby
up with everything you got.

5.Don’t
stress- Your newborn baby sleeps majority of the day and will probably be
asleep 90% of the time. If your baby does cry, don’t worry about what other
people think. I’m pretty sure we have all heard crying babies in public. If
you’re at the movie theatre or restaurant, and he/she won’t stop crying, take a
moment outside; it’ll help the both of you.

6.Make sure
your baby is fed, cleaned, and rested before heading out- If your baby is
having a bad day, chances are they just need some sleep and milk. If you’re not
comfortable with breastfeeding use a blankie, bring a bottle, or find a private
place to feed your baby. I didn’t feel comfortable for about 6 months about
breastfeeding in public (I was worried I would have a nip slip or Liam would
tug with the cover) so I’d go back to my car and feed him there. My husband was
very patient with us and helped.

7.Ask for
help- Don’t be afraid to ask your husband, mom, sister, or friend to go out
with you for assistance. I always had Tommy with me and it definitely made
things easier.

8.Have fun!
Enjoy your new family and newborn baby, theres nothing like you and your
babies “first”.

WHAT'S IN MY DIAPER
BAG:

My diaper bag now doesn’t have as many products in it
compared to my newborn bag but a lot of the same things. I didn’t include milk
and food because those are kind of obvious, lol. Here are essential products
you should have in your newborn diaper bag:

1.Diapers

2.Wipes

3.Extra change of clothes

4.Hand Sanitizer

5.Thermometer

6.Diaper Rash/ Healing Balm

7.Plush animal/ Toy

8.Blanket

9.Small Rag

10.Teether
(depending if they are currently teething)

11.Pacifier

I don’t think I could get through the day without my wipes.
I use them for everything, spit ups, cleaning, diaper changes, and sanitizing.
I use Honest Wipes, they are thick and hold up really well. . ALWAYS bring
extra clothes! Liam’s first accident was at the airport AFTER I checked my bags.
I was snuck wrapping him in a blanket the entire plane ride. I know, bad mom
move. Pack a cute tee shirt like this “duh” one or a onsie. I love Rags To
Raches, they carry the most adorable and unique rompers. They also carry these
baby “pouches” that are made for newborns! Lastly, pack the blankie-even if
it’s 100-degrees outside, I still brought a blanket when Liam was a newborn
because it would get cold inside the grocery stores or restaurants. As your
baby gets older, you’ll know what he/she needs. It’s always safer to pack it
than to not have it.

Be sure to check out all the incredible moms apart of this series on Ruthie's blog!! We have teams up with Rags to Raches to giveaway a $25 gift card, head over to my Instagram of details (@anniemescall)